Key.



F. P. GATES.

KEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI3, I915.

1 1 60,064. Y Patented Nov. 9, 1915.,

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FREDERIC-P. earns, or rian'rsonn, CONNECTICUT, nssisnon to THE Annow ELECTRIC COMPANY, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, a CGRPORATION or con- NECTICUT.

' KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed July 13, 1915. Serial No. 39,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .FREDERIC P. GATES, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have in vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Keys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to keys and particularly to a key for operating a screw plug or the like, the object of my invention being to provide a device of this character having certain features of novelty hereinafter pointed out and shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of a key in which my invention is embodied in one form; and Figs. 2 and 3 are partial views of one end of the key showing the same in different positions.

In keys for operating screw plugs or the like it has commonly been the practice to provide the same with a squared end engaging the end of a plug and passing through the nipple into which the plug is threaded. [is a consequence of this construction it has frequently resulted in the accidental rotation of the plug to such an extent that it escapes the nipple, thus being placed in inoperative position and requiring a readjustment in its nipple. The construction which I have now devised for the key prevents such accidental displacement of the plug by limiting the extent to which the portion of the key in operative engagement with the plug can be inserted during the rotation of the key in a direction to advance the plug inward through the nipple, while at the same time permitting such portion of the key to reengage the plug when it is desired to rotate the latter in the reverse or outward direction in its nipple.

As here shown the key comprises a shell or casing 10 rigid with the thumb piece 11 and provided with a cam slot 12. W'ithin this casing 10 I arrange the socket stud 13 having a pin 14 which enters the cam slot 12 of the casing. The screw plug 15, working in the threaded nipple 16 is provided with a squared end 17 adapted to enter the engaging well 18 in the socket stud 13 of the key. The diameter of the stud portion of the key is such that it freely enters the bore of the nipple 16 while the diameter of the cylindrical casing 10 is substantially the same as that of the nipple itself, so that the end of the casing 10 forms an abutment limiting. the inward travel of the socket 13 on the rotation of the key in a direction to force the screw plug inward through the nipple 16. The cam slot 12 is of such shape that on. the rotation of the key in a direction to force the plug inward, the pin 14 on the stud travels to that end of the slot 12 which is most distant from the end of the casing 10. The stud 13 is thus drawn into the latter to its greatest extent and projects beyond the end of the casing only the predetermined distance to which it is desired to limit the extent of inward travel of the plug 15. Obviously upon continued rotation of the key after the end of the casing 10 bears against the outer end of the nipple 16, has the effect of screwing the plug farther through the nipple but simultaneously withdrawing its squared end 17 from the socket well 18, in the end of the stud 13, until, as shown in Fig. 2, it is completely withdrawn and the engagement between the same broken. Upon reverse rotation of the key the pin 14, on the stud 13, travels through the cam slot 12 to the end of the latter adjacent the end of the casing 10 thus further extruding the stud from the casing and permitting the stud to enter farther into the nipple 16 and thus'again engage the squared end 17 of the plug 15. Since the pin 14 bears against the end of the slot 12, the reverse rotation of the key has the elfect of unscrewing the plug and drawing it out from its inserted position.

It is obvious that by the construction shown it becomes impossible to screw the plug 15 inwardly beyond the predetermined distance at which its engagement with the socket of the operating key is broken. Nevertheless the same key may be employed to withdraw the plug by reason of the extension of the stud on the reverse rotation of the key.

Various modifications of the construction will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from what I claim as my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. As a new article of manufacture, a key comprising an abutment member and a screw engaging member, and a cam connection between the same serving to eXtrude the screw engaging member on clockw1se rotati'dnbf the key and rtrac't'the an contra-clockwise rotation of the key, for

the' purpose described. 2. As a new-article 0f manufaeturea key eompnsing a casing and a screw engaging rotation of the key and retract thesa-me'on contra-clockwise rotation of the key.

3. As a ne-W article of manufacture, a key comprising acasing and a screw engaging "stud member Within thesame, a'cam slot m "and retract "the same on the contra-clock Wise rotation of the key. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this; specification, in'the presence 'ofwo "subscribing Witnesses.

"FREDERIC' GATES.

Witnesses: 7 V

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Copies of thispa'tent may be obtained for -fiv"e cents each, -by-'aiid-res$ ing the fC-bmmissiofier mi Patents,

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